I don't know what is more exciting, 1. getting carded for buying alcohol after several years of NOT getting carded any more, or 2. rediscovering the sharp carbonated joy of Genessee Cream Ale. Or what about having 1 happen because of 2—ahhh, happy summer is here again. Genny Cream Ale brings back warm memories of long-light evenings on the front porch with my parents sipping this fine beer from the old-stylee pull-tab cans. Now that sweet mystery can be mine. Pop a Genny and join me. Crissssp!

I had another dance DJ gig last weekend and am still traumatized by what happened. Can you get PTSD from DJing? Basically I was prepared for a certain crowd (the people who liked what I did last time and asked for more 80s music this time), but they weren't there! Instead some of the peeps who were there were not digging my tunes (I know because they said so!), and I didn't have anything else. I just am not well-trained in the live DJ thing. I'm used to radio and there's a big difference, apparently. When it comes to "giving the people what they want" on the spot, NOW, and helping them have fun and dance again in the next 54 seconds OR ELSE, I pretty much failed. Plus I had technical difficulties which made me look like even more of an idiot. I feel bad about getting frazzled and apologize to all the dope dancers there who maybe felt like my set was a bit of a trainwreck. Hmmm. It's like I was asked to tell a few funny stories at a small dinner party and when I got out there, it turned out I was in a big comedy club full of strangers with a spotlight on me and no real material.

Anyway, I'm glad to be on WVEW and able to expand and explore on my own time and in my own directions. THANK YOU for listening to Beef Jerky Time! This Wednesdays show--more cool new music I found on the Internets (sic).

The other night, around 2am, I became concerned about Sean Connery. Is he OK? The last time I thought this way about somebody it was Bobby Short, and then later he DIED. So I'm not trying to be morbid, but I do think about famous people that I like who are, um, "seniors," and I hope that they're doing OK. I found this website called "Dead or Alive?" that tells you whether or not people are still around. Did you know that Lena Horne is still alive? And Joan Fontaine? And Claude Levi-Strauss (98!)? And Luise Rainer (97!)? It's heartening to know these things. Check it out if you're wondering about somebody...

What did I play last week on Beef Jerky Time? A lot of great vinyl, that's what. Here's the rundown:

I'm full of potato chips and falafel right now so even though it's my weekly time to update my blog (during my hilarious and eclectic radio show "Beef Jerky Time" on WVEW-LP), I'm feeeling a little sluggish.

If you live in Brattleboro and it's before June 1, 2007, click over to the Best of Brattleboro to vote (one vote, one voice) for your personal faves in the area. Please try to keep it in Brattleboro--like don't say your favorite restaurant is in Walpole or something. That's not an official rule, that's just my personal plea.

Somebody (thanks K!) sent me a link to a book promo website made by Miranda July, who turns out to be a fascinating person I'd never heard of. (There are many, trust me.) Click the link then keep clicking to be charmed and jealous of Ms. J's coolness.

Also, apparently I am the last person to find out about Chewbacca's blog, which hurt me with laughing when I scrolled down through its full insanity. Mom, don't bother following this link--it's not your cup of tea!

Which reminds me of Just My Cup of Tea, a style blog that fascinates me with its dedication to materialism. Also fundraisers for people in Kenya are featured, so it kinda balances out.

Here's last week's Beef Jerky Time playlist. Thanks for keeping it tuned to Prof. K!

I was "reading" a book lately and found this great paragraph. Actually I was listening to it in the car. With a long commute every day, I'm all about audio books. Here's the quote:

"I call that the fanaticism of sympathy," said Will, impetuously. "You might say the same of landscape, or poetry, of all refinement. If you carried it out you ought to be miserable in your own goodness, and turn evil that you might have no advantage over others. The best piety is to enjoy -- when you can. You are doing the most then to save the earth's character as an agreeable planet. And enjoyment radiates. It is of no use to try and take care of all the world; that is being taken care of when you feel delight -- in art or in anything else. Would you turn all the youth of the world into a tragic chorus, wailing and moralizing over misery? I suspect that you have some false belief in the virtues of misery, and want to make your life a martyrdom."

What do you think? Wish I'd had this rationale handy back in college and needed a few excuses for feeling delight--very often. It's from Chapter 22 of Middlemarch, by our lady George Eliot.

Playlist from last week's radio show: It was an exploration of song, with a couple poems thrown in for Poetry Month (the cruellest month).